I finally ordered a Panasonic G2 with 20mm and 45mm lenses. Rather than it being a substitute for 5Dmk2, it’s going to take the LX3 out of the equation. I’d lose the extreme macro capability but gain low-light performance, magnified manual focus assist and an articulated screen.
At SHOT show, I saw an interesting Pentax waterproof camera — one of its main features s the five-light “ring-light” around the lens. It will actually focus up to the edge of the ring around the lens and, thanks to the lights, may be laid flat on a surface with no outside light reaching in and still get a shot. Unfortunately, the controls are largely of the point-and-shoot kind, but I can see something like that camera becoming the next one down from G2. To put this in gun terms, 5D2 is the rifle — it’s heavy and can by bulky depending on the lens, G2 becomes the sidearm equivalent and the hypothetical third camera is the hide-out/backup pistol. I don’t normally carry a G26 to back up a G17, so I elected not to go with a Rebel T3i either — the logistical improvements don’t justify the extra weight and bulk.
We’ll see what kind of photos become enabled by the articulated LCD. I’ve never been fond of crawling on the ground as required by the fixed 5D2 finders. With the limited 40mm-e and 90mm-e lenses, G2 would be the direct functional equivalent of the old pre-war Leica…but with better close-up capability.
